WOLJONGSA TEMPLE

The Buddhist temple of Wolgongsa is located in the heart of the Kuwol Mountains, also known as the September Mountains. This major tourist place has been classified as a national treasure. Its name means the Temple of the calm moon. It is located in a secluded valley 5 km northwest of the village of Woljong, not far from the ASA peak. It was built in 846 during the so-called Three Kingdoms period and rebuilt several times. The current structure dates from the fifteenth century. The temple has four main buildings located around a large courtyard of 20 meters. The Myongbu shrine is located in the East, the Suwol Lodge in the West, with the other sides delimited by the Manse Lodge and the Kukrakbo shrine. The latter is the main building and is covered with drawings in red and blue reminiscent of the style of the Koryo era. The pagoda planted in the middle of the courtyard was used as an illustration for a postal stamp in 1958.